I promised you all a big announcement this week, and my big news is that I’m releasing my first sewing patterns at the end of this month! I’m focusing on exercise gear, and the first two patterns are super versatile!
The xyt Workout Top
This is a pattern for a close-fitting, sleeveless workout top with front scoop neck, and choice of three upper back designs. An optional built-in bra is included, and neck and armhole edges can either be finished with hidden elastic or bound using a coverstitch binder.
You might see now why I named it the “XYT” – each of the three back variations forms the shape of the letter! The T back in particular has so much scope for variations as the vertical part can be any sort of fancy trim in your stash – lace, sequins, fishnet, fancy elastics, etc…
I absolutely love the built-in compression bra I’ve developed here, too – I’ve never had a RTW one work for me, but these are supportive enough for my B cups to run in, and some of my pattern testers with larger busts have had equal success with only a small FBA!
The pb Jam Leggings
This is a pattern for close-fitting, workout leggings with contrast swirl design on the upper front thigh leading to the upper back. There’s a hidden pocket inside at the upper centre back, perfect for gels, keys, or your phone, and contrast panels at the back of you knees are perfect for mesh fabrics. An elasticated, high-rise waistband means they won’t shift around as you move, either!
You may recognise these from my mocha running top photos earlier this week – these have become my favourite leggings ever in a very short amount of time, and when I wore them to my running crew I had several people begging to buy them off my body, no less! The design lines carry around the sides so you look good from all angles, and the hidden pocket in the centre back is sized so you can stash your phone, gel, or keys without having to carry anything.
Because I sew and so many of the great lycra stores only sell by the whole meter, I designed these so you only need to buy one meter of main fabric!
Oh and the name – “PB” stands for “Personal Best” (Americans use “Personal Record” I’m told), which is used in running circles as your gold standard – the fastest you’ve ever run that distance. “Jam” because I can’t see the letters “PB” without thinking “and jelly!” but jam is more fun as it’s sort of a little party, too. So together it’s about being the best you can be and having fun at the same time!
Q & A
To answer a few potential questions…
What are the sizes?
XS-XL – here’s the size chart:
UPDATE: Please see my post A note on sizing… for more information on this!
How much will they cost?
I’m not 100% certain on the prices yet, but they will certainly be in line with other independent patterns with similar complexity and size range!
What formats can I buy them in?
These will be digital patterns, in pdf format (for both Print at Home and Print at a Copy Shop). I’ve physically tested these on both A4 and US Letter printers and they work on both! There is no plan to release these as paper patterns at the moment. At 12 and 24 pages each, neither is too cumbersome to print and tape together at home.
Are there illustrated instructions?
YES! I’ve painstakingly illustrated each and every step for both patterns, and the feedback has been brilliant.
Will there be a Sew Along?
I’m not sure yet – if there’s a big demand I might, but frankly, I’d rather get started on my next set of pattern ideas! You’ll definitely get to see the collection of samples I’ve personally made of the patterns, though, as well as all the variations made by my pattern testers over the last month.
Where/When can I buy these?
These will be for sale from this site (via Etsy) from the last week in December. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of noise here when they are ready to buy! (I’ve got lots of work to do on the site to get everything ready for the launch, so don’t get too excited when you see a Shop section appear – I’ll announce it when they’re ready!)
I want to hugely, hugely thank my amazing team of pattern testers for their feedback, patience, extremely helpful criticism, and support over the past few months. This has been a massive learning experience for me, and the process has been far, far more hard work with so many unanticipated setbacks and the patterns wouldn’t be anywhere near as high quality without them.
So yes… exciting! What do you think of them?